Baloch Martyrs Day 13 November

[Anthea]

Balochwarna News

The Baloch nation like many other nations in their struggle for freedom has endured great sacrifices. In their endeavour to achieve these aims many have encountered and experienced the wrath of the occupying states. In consequence, many Baloch men, women and children in their struggle for National Liberation have been treated violently and inhumanly by the military and the intelligence services of the occupying states. The very harsh treatment of Baloch people, particularly by states such as Pakistan and Iran, is well recorded. Since their illegal occupation of Balochistan these states have been involved in the systematic imprisonment, torture, abduction and extra-judicial killings of Baloch.

According to Voice for Baloch Missing Persons currently over 15000 Baloch political activists are in the illegal custody of Pakistani security agencies in occupied Balochistan. More than 1500 among them have been killed in custody, literally tortured to death, and their bodies were dumped in desolated areas across Balochistan. More than 1000 Baloch highly educated men and women have been target killed by Pakistan army and its proxy death squads. Tens of thousands of Baloch have been displaced and many hundreds have been either target killed by state's security agencies or the proxy death squads of Pakistan army.

Similarly hundreds of innocent Baloch have been killed by the fundamentalist Regime of Iran in Iranian Occupied Balochistan and several are on death row waiting to be executed. Sources from Iranian occupied Balochistan say around 200 Baloch have been executed since Ruhani has come to power.

In tribute to sacrifices of the Baloch Martyrs the Baloch diaspora and people in Balochistan have been holding a day of remembrance on the 13, November of every year. The day is nominated as "Baloch Martyrs Day or Shahmiren Balochaani Ruch."

This date has been chosen to remember the first attack on sovereign state of Balochistan on 13 November 1839 and the Baloch martyrs who sacrificed their lives while defending Balochistan against British Imperialist army and other occupiers thereafter.

• On this day remember and pay tributes to fallen heroes and heroines of Baloch liberation struggle and their ultimate sacrifice for regaining Balochistan's independence.
• On this day Mir Mehrab Khan and many of his soldiers lost their precious lives while defending Balochistan against the invading army of British Empire.
• On this day we express our solidarity with families of Baloch Martyrs and those who are being illegally detained by occupying forces.
• Also, on this day there will be an exhibition of pictures, names, and a brief description on the background of each victim of occupying states' violence.

Background

Pakistan has forcibly invaded and occupied Balochistan and has been exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources since 1948. The Baloch nation never accepted the illegal occupation of their homeland. They started resisting Pakistan’s occupation from the very first day. Pakistan carried out four major military offensives, the fifth military aggression is still on-going, to crush the Baloch liberation struggle. For a short period they succeeded in dispersing the Baloch struggle. Baloch came back to confront their occupiers with greater determination and once again restarted their freedom movement in early 90s, which still continues. This time the Baloch are more disciplined and organised as they have learned from their mistakes of past. In the past Baloch struggles failed to achieve their objectives because they were limited to certain areas of Balochistan. Hence, the initiators of the current struggle succeeded to make it a nation-wide struggle.

People from all walks of life have started to pour in and become part of the Baloch liberation movement. During the first stage of this movement the emphasis was on national awareness. Pioneers of the movement and their supporters distributed literature in Baloch masses to give them awareness about their right to be free from foreign occupation. Soon the message of Baloch liberation movement reached to every nook and corner of Balochistan and Baloch men, women and elderly belonging to all spheres of life started conversing about their freedom. Many well-educated and energetic Baloch youths mixed theory and practice. With their ideas and actions they awakened the entire Baloch nation.

Pakistan, on its part, followed its devious policies to put down the popular liberation struggle of the Baloch people. It unleashed a reign of terror and savagery against the Baloch people and conducted a chain of military operations. Pakistani army has been indiscriminately bombing Baloch villages where hundreds of innocent people including women and children have been massacred. Adding to its long list of brutalities, Pakistan state has instigated a series of target killing and enforced-disappearances of Baloch leaders and activists. Many top Baloch political leaders including Nawab Akbar Bugti, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Munir, Sher Mohamad Baloch, Qambar Chakar, Rasool Bux Mengal, Balochi language poet Naseer Kamalan Baloch, 80 year old Shadi Khan Marri, Professor Saba Dashtyari, Lawyer Zaman Khan Marri, senior teacher Nazeer Ahmad Marri, Faiz Mohammad Marri and his brother Khoda Dad Marri, Mohammad Khan, Mohammad Nabi Marri and several hundred others were killed by Pakistani security forces either in their custody or were target killed in broad day light. These individuals were very respected and professional leaders of Baloch people.

Such heinous crimes of the occupying state back fired and further intensified the Baloch democratic campaign for their freedom. The voice of Baloch freedom spread across the globe. Baloch Diaspora activists echoed the silent voice of Baloch victims and their freedom struggle to the international community. The world is becoming aware of Pakistan’s double standards with each coming day and they are fed up of Pakistan’s black mailing attitude, which is its true nature.

In contemporary world the information technology and the social media has provided more opportunities to the occupied and oppressed nations to challenge and expose the atrocities of occupying states. Hence, these brutal states can no longer keep nations under their domination by force and power of gun. The subjugated people both inside Balochistan and the Diaspora are carefully watching and gauging every action of the occupying states.

For decades Pakistan under a pre-planned policy has kept Balochistan a no-media zone. Local media has been stopped from reporting about Balochistan if any Baloch journalist has dared to report they have been abducted and killed by Pakistani army and their hired criminal gangs. Some of the journalists killed by Pakistani security forces or their religious fundamental partners include Lala Hamid Baloch, Mohammad Khan Sasoli, , Ijaz Raisani, Ilyas Nazar, Rehmat Ullah Shaheen, Zarif Faraz, Siddique Eido, Munir Ahmed Shakir, Javed Naseer Rind, Razak Gul Baloch, Abdul Haq Baloch, Saif-ur-Rehman Baloch, Mohammad Khan Marri and Ali Sher Kurd Baloch to name few. On the other hand Pakistan’s press has deliberately turned a blind eye to Balochistan issue. Pakistan military and media are two complementary sides of the same undemocratic establishment. Otherwise, no civilized individual can ignore the extent of human rights violation in Balochistan by the state of Pakistan.

The Pakistani security forces and their numerous proxy religious organisations have constantly been threatening, kidnapping and even killing personnel of International media in their effort to stop them from going to Balochistan. Due to Pakistan’s hostile attitude towards the international media the journalists and reporters working with foreign news agencies do not go to Balochistan but if by any chance a journalist tries to enter Balochistan they are arrested, intimidated and deported by Pakistani security agencies or they are kidnapped by the by Taliban who are proxies of Pakistani intelligence agencies.

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